US4400800A - Semiconductor RAM device - Google Patents
Semiconductor RAM device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US4400800A US4400800A US06/210,663 US21066380A US4400800A US 4400800 A US4400800 A US 4400800A US 21066380 A US21066380 A US 21066380A US 4400800 A US4400800 A US 4400800A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- ram device
- circuits
- semiconductor ram
- gate
- memory cells
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11C—STATIC STORES
- G11C11/00—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor
- G11C11/21—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements
- G11C11/34—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices
- G11C11/40—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors
- G11C11/41—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors forming static cells with positive feedback, i.e. cells not needing refreshing or charge regeneration, e.g. bistable multivibrator or Schmitt trigger
- G11C11/413—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing, timing or power reduction
- G11C11/417—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing, timing or power reduction for memory cells of the field-effect type
- G11C11/419—Read-write [R-W] circuits
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11C—STATIC STORES
- G11C11/00—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor
- G11C11/21—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements
- G11C11/34—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices
- G11C11/40—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors
- G11C11/41—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors forming static cells with positive feedback, i.e. cells not needing refreshing or charge regeneration, e.g. bistable multivibrator or Schmitt trigger
- G11C11/412—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors forming static cells with positive feedback, i.e. cells not needing refreshing or charge regeneration, e.g. bistable multivibrator or Schmitt trigger using field-effect transistors only
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a semiconductor RAM (Random Access Memory) device, more particularly to a static type RAM device which has a high read-out speed and a high reliability of read-out data.
- a semiconductor RAM Random Access Memory
- the amplitude of a read-out signal from each of the memory cells becomes small, and the reliability of the read-out data is decreased.
- the time necessary to change the potential on each of the bit lines and the data bus lines becomes large, because it takes a long time to charge or discharge the stray capacitance of these lines by a memory cell having a small drive capacity. Therefore, the read-out time of the RAM device increases according to the increase in the integration density of the RAM device.
- a static type semiconductor RAM device comprising a latch circuit at every column which detects, amplifies and temporarily holds a read-out signal from each of the memory cells in the corresponding column and which has a large drive capacity.
- each of the memory cells is used as an element to only hold information.
- the data bus lines are driven by the latch circuits having a large drive capacity, so that the slow down of the read-out speed of the static type RAM device having a large memory capacity is prevented.
- FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a static type semiconductor RAM device according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a memory cell used in the RAM device of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram of a gate signal generator used in the RAM device of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating the signals appearing in the circuits of FIGS. 1 and 3;
- FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a sense amplifier used in the RAM device of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a static type semiconductor RAM device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- memory cells MC 00 through MC NN are disposed in a matrix of N rows by N columns and each of the memory cells comprises a flip-flop, which will be explained later in detail.
- Word lines W 0 through W N are connected to X address (or row address) decoders XD 0 through XD N respectively, and each of the word lines W 0 through W N is selected by corresponding one of the output signals X 0 through X N from the X address decoders XD 0 through XD N .
- a plurality of bit line pairs B 0 , B 0 through B N , B N are crossed with a plurality of the word lines W 0 through W N to form the matrix.
- each of the memory cells MC 00 through MC NN is connected between a bit line pair and a word line.
- These bit line pairs B 0 , B 0 through B N , B N are connected to latch circuits or amplifier circuits RA 0 through RA N respectively, according to the present invention. All the latch circuits RA 0 through RA N have the same structure, and therefore only the latch circuit RA 0 will be explained hereinafter.
- the latch circuit RA 0 comprises load transistors Q 1 and Q 2 , and driver transistors Q 3 and Q 4 which comprise a flip-flop.
- the latch circuit RA 0 further comprises gate transistors Q 5 and Q 6 connected between the bit line pair B 0 , B 0 and the flip-flop, and a switching transistor Q 7 .
- the switching transistor Q 7 and the load transistors Q 1 and Q 2 are turned on and off by a signal Y 0D which is a delayed signal of an output signal Y 0 from a Y address (or column address) decoder, not shown in the drawing.
- the gate transistors Q 5 and Q 6 are turned on and off by a delayed gate signal WDD produced in a gate signal generator, which will be explained later.
- the latch circuits RA 0 through RA N are selected by the delayed gate signal WDD and the delayed output signals Y 0D through Y ND of the output signals Y 0 through Y N from the Y address decoders, not shown in the drawing.
- the flip-flop of each of the above-mentioned latch circuits RA 0 through RA N has the same structure as that of each of the memory cells MC 00 through MC NN , which will be explained later.
- the drive capacity of the driver transistors Q 3 and Q 4 of each of the latch circuits is larger than that of the driver transistors of the flip-flop contained in each of the memory cells MC 00 through MC NN . Therefore, for example, the size of the driver transistors Q 3 and Q 4 of each of the latch circuits is larger than that of the driver transistors of each of the memory cells MC 00 through MC NN .
- FIG. 2 illustrates, as an example, the memory cell MC 00 , used in the circuit of FIG. 1.
- the memory cell MC 00 comprises load transistors Q 21 , Q 22 and driver transistors Q 23 , Q 24 which comprise a flip-flop, and gate transistors Q 25 , Q 26 which are turned on and off by for example, the output signal from the X address decoder XD 0 , i.e., decoded address signal X 0 .
- the gate transistors Q 25 and Q 26 are turned on due to the supply of a decoded address signal X 0 of high potential level, and thus transfer of information between the bit lines B 0 , B 0 and the flip-flop of the memory cell MC 00 is effected.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a gate signal generator which produces a delayed gate signal WDD.
- This generator comprises a detector circuit DXD including trigger pulse generators TG 01 , TG 02 , . . . , TG M1 , TG M2 , OR gates OG 0 , . . . , OG M , OG 00 and an inverter INV, and, a delay circuit TD.
- Each of the trigger pulse generators TG 01 through TG M2 detects potential changes, i.e. the leading edge or trailing edge, of the respective buffered address signals A 0 , A 0 , . . . , A M , A M and generates respective trigger pulses T 0 , T 0 ', .
- OR gates OG 0 through OG M and an OR gate OG 00 effect the logical "or" operation of the trigger pulses T 0 , T 0 ', . . . , T M , T M '.
- the inverter INV inverts an output signal from the OR gate OG 00 and produces a gate signal T.
- a delay circuit TD delays the gate signal T for a predetermined time period and produces the delayed gate signal WDD, which was mentioned before.
- the delay time of the delay circuit TD is approximately the time it takes the output signal X 0 , . . .
- the delay circuit TD can be constructed by using a dummy word line which has approximately the same length as that of each of the word lines W 0 through W N and which is disposed parallel to the word lines W 0 through W N .
- each of the trigger pulse generators TG 01 through TG M2 can be constructed by using, for example, a differentiation circuit and a wave shaping circuit.
- a M , A M are applied to the X address decorders XD 0 through XD N and some of the address signals are applied to Y address decoders, which are not shown in the drawings.
- the output X 0 from the X address decorder XD 0 becomes high and the output Y 0 from the Y address decoder becomes high.
- the output X 0 and the output Y 0 become high, at least two of the address signal pairs A 0 , A 0 , . . .
- a M , A M change their potential level, as illustrated by A of FIG. 4.
- This change of the potential level may be a potential rise or a potential fall.
- the detector circuit DXD (FIG. 3) generates a gate signal T as illustrated in FIG. 4.
- the delay circuit TD (FIG. 3) delays the gate signal T and produces the delayed gate signal WDD, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
- the delayed gate signal WDD is applied to the gate electrodes of the transistors Q 5 and Q 6 of the latch circuits RA 0 through RA N of FIG. 1.
- the potential of all portions of the selected word line W 0 rises to a high level. Therefore, the information from the memory cell MC 00 , which is disposed at the position nearest the X address decoder XD 0 of FIG. 1, has already been read out to the bit line pair B 0 , B 0 . That is, the potentials of the point A and the point B (FIG. 2) in the memory cell MC 00 are already transferred to the bit lines B 0 and B 0 respectively. In such a condition, the gate transistors Q 5 and Q 6 are turned on by the delayed gate signal WDD and the information of the memory cell MC 00 , i.e.
- the potentials of the point A and the point B of the memory cell MC 00 is applied to the latch circuit RA 0 through the gate transistors Q 5 and Q 6 .
- the delayed gate signal WDD is applied to the gate transistors Q 5 and Q 6
- the delayed Y decoder signal Y 0D is applied to the gate electrodes of the switching transistor Q 7 and of the load transistors Q 1 and Q 2 of the latch circuit R 0 .
- the latch circuit RA 0 is activated due to the supply of an operating voltage. Therefore, the latch circuit RA 0 is set to a condition determined by the input potentials, i.e.
- the delayed gate signal WDD and the delayed Y decoder signal Y 0D are needed in order to prevent the destruction of data in the memory cell MC 00 . If the gate transistors Q 5 and Q 6 are always turned on, due to the supply of DC voltage of high potential instead of the delayed gate signal WDD, or if the latch circuit RA 0 is activated by the Y decoder signal Y 0 , instead of the delayed Y decoder signal Y 0D , the memory cell MC 00 having a small drive capacity is written-in by the potentials of the bit lines B 0 and B 0 which are determined by a condition of the latch circuit RA 0 at the time the memory cell MC 00 is selected.
- FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a sense amplifier SA which is used in the memory device of FIG. 1.
- the sense amplifier SA comprises a pair of transistors Q 50 and Q 51 forming a differential amplifier, a pair of load transistors Q 52 and Q 53 , and a transistor Q 54 forming a constant current source.
- the gate electrodes of the transistors Q 50 and Q 51 are respectively connected to the output terminals of the latch circuits RA 0 through RA N through data bus lines which are not shown in the drawings. Therefore, the output signals D and D of the latch circuit, for example, RA 0 are respectively applied to the gate electrodes of the transistors Q 50 and Q 51 , and amplified by the sense amplifier SA.
- the sense amplifier SA provides output signals O and O as the read-out signals from the memory device.
- the bit lines, the data bus lines and the sense amplifier are driven by the latch circuits, whose driver transistors are big in size, so as to obtain a large drive capacity, to increase the read-out speed and to improve the reliability of the read-out data of the static type RAM device. Therefore, it is not necessary to use memory cells having big sizes. Also, a latch circuit is provided for every column so that the integration density of the RAM device is not greatly decreased.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Static Random-Access Memory (AREA)
- Dram (AREA)
Abstract
A static type semiconductor RAM device comprising a latch circuit at every column which detects, amplifies and temporarily memorizes a read-out signal from each of the memory cells in the corresponding column and which has a large drive capacity. In the static type RAM device according to the present invention, each of the memory cells is used as an element which only holds information, and data bus lines are driven by the latch circuits having a large drive capacity, so that the slow down of the read-out speed and the decrease of reliability of read-out data of the static type RAM device having a large memory capacity is prevented.
Description
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor RAM (Random Access Memory) device, more particularly to a static type RAM device which has a high read-out speed and a high reliability of read-out data.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the memory capacity and thus the integration, density of semiconductor memory devices has become very large. This is because it has become possible to make a great number of elements of very small size on one chip, due to recent technical developments in integrated circuitry. In a semiconductor memory device such as a static-type semiconductor RAM device having flip-flop type memory cells, the size of each of the memory cells has become very small so that the memory capacity has become very large.
However, in a conventional static type RAM device in which each of the memory cells drives a sense amplifier directly through bit lines and data bus lines, one disadvantage is that the read-out speed of the RAM device is decreased and the reliability of read-out data is decreased. This is due to the increase of the integration degree of the semiconductor memory device, where the chip size of each of the memory cells is small and, especially in a case of a static type memory cell, the size of the driver transistors included in each of the memory cells is small and hence the drive capacity of each of the memory cells decreases. Moreover, the stray capacitance of the bit lines and the data bus lines, which are driven by the memory cells and which form load circuits of the memory cells, does not decrease in accordance with the increase of the integration density of the RAM device. Therefore, the amplitude of a read-out signal from each of the memory cells becomes small, and the reliability of the read-out data is decreased. Thus, the time necessary to change the potential on each of the bit lines and the data bus lines becomes large, because it takes a long time to charge or discharge the stray capacitance of these lines by a memory cell having a small drive capacity. Therefore, the read-out time of the RAM device increases according to the increase in the integration density of the RAM device.
It is the principal object of the present invention to increase the read-out speed of the static RAM device having a large memory capacity.
It is another object of the present invention to improve the reliability of the read-out data from a static RAM device having a large memory capacity.
According to the present invention, there is provided a static type semiconductor RAM device comprising a latch circuit at every column which detects, amplifies and temporarily holds a read-out signal from each of the memory cells in the corresponding column and which has a large drive capacity. In the static type RAM device according to the present invention, each of the memory cells is used as an element to only hold information. The data bus lines are driven by the latch circuits having a large drive capacity, so that the slow down of the read-out speed of the static type RAM device having a large memory capacity is prevented.
FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a static type semiconductor RAM device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a memory cell used in the RAM device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram of a gate signal generator used in the RAM device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating the signals appearing in the circuits of FIGS. 1 and 3;
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a sense amplifier used in the RAM device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a static type semiconductor RAM device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, memory cells MC00 through MCNN are disposed in a matrix of N rows by N columns and each of the memory cells comprises a flip-flop, which will be explained later in detail. Word lines W0 through WN are connected to X address (or row address) decoders XD0 through XDN respectively, and each of the word lines W0 through WN is selected by corresponding one of the output signals X0 through XN from the X address decoders XD0 through XDN. A plurality of bit line pairs B0, B0 through BN, BN are crossed with a plurality of the word lines W0 through WN to form the matrix. At each cross position of the matrix, each of the memory cells MC00 through MCNN is connected between a bit line pair and a word line. These bit line pairs B0 , B0 through BN, BN are connected to latch circuits or amplifier circuits RA0 through RAN respectively, according to the present invention. All the latch circuits RA0 through RAN have the same structure, and therefore only the latch circuit RA0 will be explained hereinafter. The latch circuit RA0 comprises load transistors Q1 and Q2, and driver transistors Q3 and Q4 which comprise a flip-flop. The latch circuit RA0 further comprises gate transistors Q5 and Q6 connected between the bit line pair B0, B0 and the flip-flop, and a switching transistor Q7. The switching transistor Q7 and the load transistors Q1 and Q2 are turned on and off by a signal Y0D which is a delayed signal of an output signal Y0 from a Y address (or column address) decoder, not shown in the drawing. The gate transistors Q5 and Q6 are turned on and off by a delayed gate signal WDD produced in a gate signal generator, which will be explained later. Therefore, the latch circuits RA0 through RAN are selected by the delayed gate signal WDD and the delayed output signals Y0D through YND of the output signals Y0 through YN from the Y address decoders, not shown in the drawing. The flip-flop of each of the above-mentioned latch circuits RA0 through RAN has the same structure as that of each of the memory cells MC00 through MCNN, which will be explained later. However, it should be noted that the drive capacity of the driver transistors Q3 and Q4 of each of the latch circuits is larger than that of the driver transistors of the flip-flop contained in each of the memory cells MC00 through MCNN. Therefore, for example, the size of the driver transistors Q3 and Q4 of each of the latch circuits is larger than that of the driver transistors of each of the memory cells MC00 through MCNN.
FIG. 2 illustrates, as an example, the memory cell MC00, used in the circuit of FIG. 1. The memory cell MC00 comprises load transistors Q21, Q22 and driver transistors Q23, Q24 which comprise a flip-flop, and gate transistors Q25, Q26 which are turned on and off by for example, the output signal from the X address decoder XD0, i.e., decoded address signal X0. When a read-out or a write-in of information is effected, the gate transistors Q25 and Q26 are turned on due to the supply of a decoded address signal X0 of high potential level, and thus transfer of information between the bit lines B0, B0 and the flip-flop of the memory cell MC00 is effected.
FIG. 3 illustrates a gate signal generator which produces a delayed gate signal WDD. This generator comprises a detector circuit DXD including trigger pulse generators TG01, TG02, . . . , TGM1, TGM2, OR gates OG0, . . . , OGM, OG00 and an inverter INV, and, a delay circuit TD. Each of the trigger pulse generators TG01 through TGM2 detects potential changes, i.e. the leading edge or trailing edge, of the respective buffered address signals A0, A0, . . . , AM, AM and generates respective trigger pulses T0, T0 ', . . . , TM, TM ' when the potential change is detected. OR gates OG0 through OGM and an OR gate OG00 effect the logical "or" operation of the trigger pulses T0, T0 ', . . . , TM, TM '. The inverter INV inverts an output signal from the OR gate OG00 and produces a gate signal T. A delay circuit TD delays the gate signal T for a predetermined time period and produces the delayed gate signal WDD, which was mentioned before. The delay time of the delay circuit TD is approximately the time it takes the output signal X0, . . . , XN-1 or XN respectively to propagate from the X address decoder XD0, . . . , XDN-1 or XDN to the farthest end of the word line W0, . . . , WN-1 or WN, i.e., a portion of the word line to which the memory cell MCON, . . . , MCN-1 N or MCNN is connected in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Therefore, the delay circuit TD can be constructed by using a dummy word line which has approximately the same length as that of each of the word lines W0 through WN and which is disposed parallel to the word lines W0 through WN. In the above-mentioned detector circuit, each of the trigger pulse generators TG01 through TGM2 can be constructed by using, for example, a differentiation circuit and a wave shaping circuit.
With reference to FIG. 4, the operation of the memory device according to the present invention will now be explained. When the read-out of information from a memory cell of the memory device is effected, input address signals A0, A1, . . . , AM designating the memory cell are applied to address buffer circuits, which are not shown in the drawings. The address buffer circuits produce buffered address signal pairs A0, A0, . . . , AM, AM containing non-inverted signals and inverted signals of the input address signals. Some of the address signals A0, A0, . . . , AM, AM are applied to the X address decorders XD0 through XDN and some of the address signals are applied to Y address decoders, which are not shown in the drawings. When the memory cell, for example, MC00 is selected, the output X0 from the X address decorder XD0 becomes high and the output Y0 from the Y address decoder becomes high. Before the output X0 and the output Y0 become high, at least two of the address signal pairs A0, A0, . . . , AM, AM (i.e., at least a pair of the address signals including non-inverted and inverted address signals) change their potential level, as illustrated by A of FIG. 4. This change of the potential level may be a potential rise or a potential fall. In response to the change of the potential level of at least one address signal, the detector circuit DXD (FIG. 3) generates a gate signal T as illustrated in FIG. 4. The delay circuit TD (FIG. 3) delays the gate signal T and produces the delayed gate signal WDD, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The delayed gate signal WDD is applied to the gate electrodes of the transistors Q5 and Q6 of the latch circuits RA0 through RAN of FIG. 1. Before the delayed gate signal WDD is generated, the potential of all portions of the selected word line W0 rises to a high level. Therefore, the information from the memory cell MC00, which is disposed at the position nearest the X address decoder XD0 of FIG. 1, has already been read out to the bit line pair B0, B0. That is, the potentials of the point A and the point B (FIG. 2) in the memory cell MC00 are already transferred to the bit lines B0 and B0 respectively. In such a condition, the gate transistors Q5 and Q6 are turned on by the delayed gate signal WDD and the information of the memory cell MC00, i.e. the potentials of the point A and the point B of the memory cell MC00, is applied to the latch circuit RA0 through the gate transistors Q5 and Q6. After the delayed gate signal WDD is applied to the gate transistors Q5 and Q6, the delayed Y decoder signal Y0D is applied to the gate electrodes of the switching transistor Q7 and of the load transistors Q1 and Q2 of the latch circuit R0. Thus, the latch circuit RA0 is activated due to the supply of an operating voltage. Therefore, the latch circuit RA0 is set to a condition determined by the input potentials, i.e. the potentials of the bit lines B0 and B0, so that the transferring of information to the latch circuit RA0 is effected. In this case, stray capacitance existing between the input circuit portion of the latch circuit RA0 and the ground are charged by the potentials of the bit lines B0 and B0. Therefore, even if the delayed Y decoder signal Y0D is applied to the latch circuit RA0 a short time after the delayed gate signal WDD has changed from high potential to low potential, as illustrated in FIG. 4, it is possible to set the latch circuit RA0 to a condition determined by the potentials of the bit lines B0 and B0. It should be noted that the delayed gate signal WDD and the delayed Y decoder signal Y0D are needed in order to prevent the destruction of data in the memory cell MC00. If the gate transistors Q5 and Q6 are always turned on, due to the supply of DC voltage of high potential instead of the delayed gate signal WDD, or if the latch circuit RA0 is activated by the Y decoder signal Y0, instead of the delayed Y decoder signal Y0D, the memory cell MC00 having a small drive capacity is written-in by the potentials of the bit lines B0 and B0 which are determined by a condition of the latch circuit RA0 at the time the memory cell MC00 is selected. Therefore, there is a possibility of the destruction of the data stored in the memory cell, for example, MC00. In order to prevent the destruction of the data stored in each of the memory cells, it is necessary to use the delayed gate signal WDD and the delayed Y decoder signal Y0D, as mentioned before, so that the potentials of the bit lines are determined by the selected memory cell and the latch circuit is set to the condition determined by the potentials of the bit lines due to the supplied potentials of the bit lines.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a sense amplifier SA which is used in the memory device of FIG. 1. The sense amplifier SA comprises a pair of transistors Q50 and Q51 forming a differential amplifier, a pair of load transistors Q52 and Q53, and a transistor Q54 forming a constant current source. The gate electrodes of the transistors Q50 and Q51 are respectively connected to the output terminals of the latch circuits RA0 through RAN through data bus lines which are not shown in the drawings. Therefore, the output signals D and D of the latch circuit, for example, RA0 are respectively applied to the gate electrodes of the transistors Q50 and Q51, and amplified by the sense amplifier SA. The sense amplifier SA provides output signals O and O as the read-out signals from the memory device.
According to the present invention, the bit lines, the data bus lines and the sense amplifier are driven by the latch circuits, whose driver transistors are big in size, so as to obtain a large drive capacity, to increase the read-out speed and to improve the reliability of the read-out data of the static type RAM device. Therefore, it is not necessary to use memory cells having big sizes. Also, a latch circuit is provided for every column so that the integration density of the RAM device is not greatly decreased.
Claims (9)
1. A semiconductor RAM device having a matrix of rows corresponding to word lines and columns corresponding to bit lines, and static type memory cells, respective of the static type memory cells operatively connected at corresponding of the cross points of said matrix,
a row decoder having outputs respectively, operatively connected to corresponding ones of said rows;
a column decoder having outputs respectively, operatively connected to corresponding ones of said columns;
each of said static type memory cells being selected by the respective output from the row decoder and the respective output from the column decoder and generating a data signal in response to being selected, said semiconductor RAM device comprising:
amplifier circuits, having activated and non-activated states, respective of said amplifier circuits operatively connected to corresponding of said bit lines, for amplifying the data signal from a selected one of said static type memory cells associated with said corresponding bit lines, and
gate circuits having activated and non-activated states, respective of said gate circuits operatively connected between said corresponding bit lines and said respective amplifier circuits, said gate circuits being activated for a first specified period after a respective memory cell is selected by said output from said row decoder and said output from said column decoder and passing the data signal from said respective memory cell to said corresponding amplifier circuit,
said amplifier circuit being selectively activated for a second specified period after said first specified period.
2. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor RAM device further comprises:
a detector circuit, operatively connected to corresponding of said gate circuits, for receiving input address signals and for detecting a potential change of at least one of the input address signals, and for providing a gate signal in response to said detecting; and
a delay circuit, operatively connected between said detector circuit and said corresponding of said gate circuits, for delaying said gate signal from said detector circuit, for providing an output signal and for activating said gate circuits.
3. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said delay circuit delays said gate signal for a time approximately equal to the time for said output signal from said row decoder to propagate from said row decoder to the memory cell connected at the end of a word line farthest from said row decoder.
4. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said amplifier circuits are activated in response to said output signal from said column decoder.
5. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said amplifier circuits are activated in response to said output signal from said column decoder.
6. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claims 1, 2, 3, 5 or 4, wherein said amplifier circuits comprise latch circuits, each latch circuit including a pair of driver transistors.
7. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 6, wherein each memory cell includes a driver transistor having a drive capacity, and wherein each of said driver transistors of said latch circuits has a larger drive capacity than the drive capacity of said driver transistors of the memory cells.
8. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 7, wherein each memory cell driver transistor has a predetermined size, and each of said driver transistors of said latch circuits has a bigger size than said predetermined size of said driver transistors of the memory cells.
9. A semiconductor RAM device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said drive capacity of said memory cell driver transistors is selected to drive only said respective column and said respective gate circuit.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP54-154578 | 1979-11-29 | ||
JP54154578A JPS59915B2 (en) | 1979-11-29 | 1979-11-29 | memory circuit |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US4400800A true US4400800A (en) | 1983-08-23 |
Family
ID=15587274
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US06/210,663 Expired - Lifetime US4400800A (en) | 1979-11-29 | 1980-11-26 | Semiconductor RAM device |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US4400800A (en) |
EP (1) | EP0031995B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPS59915B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA1174762A (en) |
DE (1) | DE3071458D1 (en) |
IE (1) | IE51438B1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4441169A (en) * | 1981-02-25 | 1984-04-03 | Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Static random access memory having a read out control circuit connected to a memory cell |
US4504748A (en) * | 1980-10-15 | 1985-03-12 | Fujitsu Limited | Sense amplifier circuit |
DE4107420A1 (en) * | 1991-03-08 | 1992-09-10 | Mikroelektronik Und Technologi | WRITE-READ CIRCUIT FOR A STATIC RAM |
US20060176728A1 (en) * | 2005-02-09 | 2006-08-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Local bit select circuit with slow read recovery scheme |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE3582376D1 (en) * | 1984-08-03 | 1991-05-08 | Toshiba Kawasaki Kk | SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY ARRANGEMENT. |
US4636991A (en) * | 1985-08-16 | 1987-01-13 | Motorola, Inc. | Summation of address transition signals |
JPH0831275B2 (en) * | 1986-09-09 | 1996-03-27 | 日本電気株式会社 | Memory circuit |
JPH01174563U (en) * | 1988-05-30 | 1989-12-12 | ||
US5023842A (en) * | 1988-07-11 | 1991-06-11 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Semiconductor memory having improved sense amplifiers |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4125878A (en) * | 1976-07-12 | 1978-11-14 | Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. | Memory circuit |
US4255678A (en) * | 1977-11-21 | 1981-03-10 | Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Voltage sense circuit |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3879621A (en) * | 1973-04-18 | 1975-04-22 | Ibm | Sense amplifier |
-
1979
- 1979-11-29 JP JP54154578A patent/JPS59915B2/en not_active Expired
-
1980
- 1980-11-18 CA CA000364903A patent/CA1174762A/en not_active Expired
- 1980-11-21 DE DE8080304189T patent/DE3071458D1/en not_active Expired
- 1980-11-21 EP EP80304189A patent/EP0031995B1/en not_active Expired
- 1980-11-25 IE IE2439/80A patent/IE51438B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1980-11-26 US US06/210,663 patent/US4400800A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4125878A (en) * | 1976-07-12 | 1978-11-14 | Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. | Memory circuit |
US4255678A (en) * | 1977-11-21 | 1981-03-10 | Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Voltage sense circuit |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4504748A (en) * | 1980-10-15 | 1985-03-12 | Fujitsu Limited | Sense amplifier circuit |
US4441169A (en) * | 1981-02-25 | 1984-04-03 | Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Static random access memory having a read out control circuit connected to a memory cell |
DE4107420A1 (en) * | 1991-03-08 | 1992-09-10 | Mikroelektronik Und Technologi | WRITE-READ CIRCUIT FOR A STATIC RAM |
DE4107420C2 (en) * | 1991-03-08 | 2002-08-14 | Zentr Mikroelekt Dresden Gmbh | Read-write circuit for a static RAM |
US20060176728A1 (en) * | 2005-02-09 | 2006-08-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Local bit select circuit with slow read recovery scheme |
US7102946B2 (en) * | 2005-02-09 | 2006-09-05 | International Business Machines Corporation | Local bit select circuit with slow read recovery scheme |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0031995A2 (en) | 1981-07-15 |
JPS5677982A (en) | 1981-06-26 |
JPS59915B2 (en) | 1984-01-09 |
EP0031995B1 (en) | 1986-02-26 |
IE802439L (en) | 1981-05-29 |
CA1174762A (en) | 1984-09-18 |
DE3071458D1 (en) | 1986-04-03 |
EP0031995A3 (en) | 1982-11-17 |
IE51438B1 (en) | 1986-12-24 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US3678473A (en) | Read-write circuit for capacitive memory arrays | |
KR0164199B1 (en) | Semiconductor memory device | |
US4766572A (en) | Semiconductor memory having a bypassable data output latch | |
US4879692A (en) | Dynamic memory circuit with improved sensing scheme | |
US5541872A (en) | Folded bit line ferroelectric memory device | |
US5596545A (en) | Semiconductor memory device with internal self-refreshing | |
EP0090590A2 (en) | Semiconductor memory device | |
US4563754A (en) | Static-type random-access memory device | |
US4616344A (en) | Static memory circuit | |
KR960001327B1 (en) | Dynamic random access memory device with built-in test mode | |
US4969125A (en) | Asynchronous segmented precharge architecture | |
US5436865A (en) | Output circuit for semiconductor memory device realizing extended data output upon inactivation of CAS signal | |
US5841706A (en) | Semiconductor memory device capable of high speed operation in low power supply voltage | |
US4322825A (en) | Flexible hidden refresh memory circuit | |
US4400800A (en) | Semiconductor RAM device | |
US4539661A (en) | Static-type semiconductor memory device | |
EP0074206B1 (en) | Semiconductor memory device | |
US4653027A (en) | Semiconductor memory device | |
GB2185649A (en) | Memory output circuit | |
US4823322A (en) | Dynamic random access memory device having an improved timing arrangement | |
US5278788A (en) | Semiconductor memory device having improved controlling function for data buses | |
US5079745A (en) | Sense amplifier capable of high speed operation | |
US4514831A (en) | Static-type semiconductor memory device | |
EP0488265B1 (en) | Semiconductor memory device | |
US6243303B1 (en) | Method and circuitry for writing data |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
CC | Certificate of correction |